Tech Updates

Testing and Replacing Blue Sea Battery Fuses

July 11, 2018

Blue Sea Battery Fuses are used in the BAT048 Battery Combiner Box and other applications. Determining if a fuse is blown can be difficult. Determining if a fuse is blown in the BAT048 Battery Combiner Box: If only one or two fuses are blown, only the batteries connected through the blown fuses will be disconnected. […]

A New Name

May 2, 2018

The NTM Tech Center has changed our name to Offgrid Tech. With our expanding ministry context we endeavored to choose a name that accurately sums up our part of global evangelism. Offgrid Tech is a ministry of Ethnos360. Ethnos360 was founded as New Tribes Mission in 1942 with the goal of reaching people who have […]

SimpliPhi Lithium Ferro Phosphate batteries – Pros and Cons

April 5, 2017

The NTM Tech Center has been researching lithium batteries for several years. There have been several major obstacles that made lithium batteries a poor choice for missionaries. There were serious thermal runaway issues with Lithium ion (most commonly Lithium Cobalt batteries), very high initial costs, and poor reliability over time. In September 2015 we came […]

Outback Charge Controller Data Logging

August 29, 2016

The Outback FM80 / FM60 series charge controllers keep a 128 day running log of many different voltages, wattages and times. This information can be useful in troubleshooting problems, monitoring the status of solar electric systems, and determining system battery status. Data Logging can be thought of like a 128 day history of the charge […]

How Shading Affects PV Solar Panels

June 23, 2016

When installing PV solar panels much care should be taken to ensure that the PV solar panels remains fully unshaded for the maximum amount of daytime hours. This has a much greater impact than some may understand. The most critical six hours of the day are the three hours before solar noon and the three […]

Refrigerator and Freezer Concerns

March 14, 2016

Keep refrigerators and freezers dry: In order to extend the life of any refrigerator or freezer, they should be kept as dry as possible. Water will cause rust on the internal Freon lines causing premature failure. Water can also infiltrate the insulating foam causing damage. A refrigerator or freezer should not be placed in a […]

Water Filter Canister Troubleshooting

March 4, 2016

Proper Placement of Water Filter Gaskets: The NTM Tech Center has received reports of problems with water filter gasket placement. This is for most types of water filter elements: MCR5, Black Berkey, and ceramic water filters. It is important that the gaskets be placed directly on the bottom of the water filter canister BEFORE being […]

Tesla Powerwall for Missionaries?

May 4, 2015

With the announcement of the Tesla Powerwall, we have been asked if the Tesla Powerwall is something that will help missionaries. The short answer is “No”, at least for now. Read on for a more technical explanation, or just know that the NTM Tech Center is always on the lookout for new technologies and products […]

Pump Pressure Switch Replacement

March 4, 2015

Are you constantly replacing the pressure switch on your 12v water pump? Over the years we have found this to be one of the top problems missionaries face with an off grid pressurized water system. The Shurflo 2088 pump is a robust unit that rarely fails, except for the pressure switch. I have seen missionaries […]

Water Purification Without Electricity

September 10, 2014

For most families, drinking water, free of bacteria and viruses, is most cost effectively produced by the NTM Tech Center three stage water purification system. The three stages consist of pre-filtration to remove dirt and leaves, microfiltration via a ceramic drip filter to remove bacteria and microscopic particles, and a final UV (ultraviolet) light to […]